A California man is suing Microsoft over the company’s decision to force a Windows 11 upgrade on his two laptops, citing a lack of necessary security updates and hardware restrictions that prevent him from upgrading. The man, identified as Lawrence Klein, argues that Microsoft violated California’s consumer protection laws by forcing unnecessary upgrades on users.
Klein wants the court to order Microsoft to offer free support for Windows 10 until its market share drops below 10% of total Windows users. Alternatively, he seeks a ruling that would force Microsoft to loosen those hardware restrictions.
The complaint notes that the end-of-life date for Windows 10 is premature, considering the operating system still has over 50% market share despite Microsoft’s announcement last year. The lawsuit also argues that the Windows 11 transition was forced and artificial, with consumers not finding the new interface appealing.
Klein’s lawyers claim that Microsoft is using the upgrade to build an advantage in the AI market by integrating Copilot into the OS, making it a central AI experience. They argue that this creates a strong incentive for Microsoft to push satisfied Windows 10 users towards upgrading to Windows 11, rather than allowing them to continue using the existing operating system.
The case highlights concerns about Microsoft’s business practices and the impact of forced upgrades on consumers.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/11/microsoft_sued_over_premature_windows